Verloren's Quest
by Xandrabelle
Summary: It's not easy being an evil overlord, but there were also some perks. Follow Ayanami as he searches for Pandora's Box and the Eye of Michael. Black Hawks-centric. Spoilers for all the manga. m/m
1. Meet Teito Klein

Disclaimer: All rights go to Yuki Amemiya and Yukino Ichihara. No money is being made.

Pairing: Ayanami/Hyuuga, and everyone else with Teito. :)

_Please note, this story will have spoilers for the identities of Ayanami, Teito and the 07 Ghosts._

There were advantages to being the Chief of Staff of the Barsburg Empire. It gave Ayanami the freedom to conduct his search for the Eye of Michael and to crush anyone who stood in his way. But it also placed him at the beck and call of assorted top military brass and in particular, Academy Chairman Miroku. And that last was the reason why he had spent the last few days traveling to the empire's military academy for an inspection. It was graduation time for would be Begleiters, which meant new officers to place and all the attending tedious paperwork to do. The only perk was that he got to arrive in style, for there was nothing like making a grand entrance than flying in on a floating fortress.

A deep metallic boom vibrating from the decks signaled the successful docking of his ship at the academy. His defacto second-in-command entered his anteroom. "We've arrived, Aya-tan. The group's ready to leave when you are," said Major Hyuuga, his lazy smile ever present as he waved at the door.

With cat-like grace, Ayanami rose to his feet and slipped on his cap. He had no need to command Hyuuga to follow, aware his right-hand man would be there, guarding his back. They progressed to the docking area where his stalwart team was waiting. Ayanami raised an eyebrow at the sight of Lieutenant Colonel Kuroyuri, awake and actually standing at attention, both highly unusual. He shot an questioning glance at Hyuuga, wondering who had the task of getting the pink-haired child soldier ready. The major licked at his lollipop, nodded at Haruse, a stoic statue behind Kuroyuri, and smirked broadly at Ayanami. Apparently the entire team was aware that this wasn't a regular inspection after all.

The airlocks slid open and Ayanami strode through. With military precision, his five subordinates arranged themselves behind him in perfect order and marched forward. He paid little attention to the call for a salute from the rows of soldiers lining the corridor ahead in strict attention, his focus entirely on reaching the academy testing halls.

It wasn't long before Ayanami's group spilled into a viewing gallery where several of the academy instructors congregated around the glass testing chambers. Everyone turned as he arrived and the lead instructor stepped forward with a smile of welcome. "Thank you for coming, Chief of Staff Ayanami."

"How are the cadets this year, do they have some backbone in them?" Ayanami asked, wondering if anyone could impress him. Very few did, which was a reason why he remained without a Begleiter, an aide that most officers in his position refused to go without.

A loud crash drew their attention to one of the glass chambers. Within, two students were being flung around like rag-dolls by a large man, a desperate convict tempted with the prospect of shortening his sentence if he defeated the group. A third cadet whirled around and looked directly at the small crowd of watchers outside. Running to the barrier, he began to pound on it, screaming for help.

Ayanami could barely believe his eyes at this embarrassing behavior. A five-against-one fight and this wannabe soldier was asking for help. The standards of the military academy had certainly gone down if this was the caliber of the cadets. "How unsightly," he said, disdain edging his voice.

The instructor laughed nervously. "Ah well, that's a son from the noble Oak family," he said, as if the name should be reason enough for Ayanami to overlook such a display.

If anything, Ayanami was even more unimpressed. Admiral Oak was a thorn in his side though he worked with him as necessary.

"No matter how impressive their training results are, it doesn't mean anything if they cannot do the same in a real battle," another instructor pointed out with some malicious relish.

Ayanami briefly wondered if she might be harboring a grudge against the pathetic blonde beating on the glass before his attention was diverted.

The convict had noticed the vulnerable target the Oak son provided, with his back turned and his panicked state. He dived towards the cadet, his arm raised to deliver a mighty blow. But at the last moment, someone jumped before him and pushed him out of the way.

Ayanami took a step closer in interest. The combatant who'd entered the fray was small but Ayanami realized he made up for any lack with his speed. He whizzed around the room, seizing opportunities to strike at his opponent.

"Teito!" the final student in the room cried in warning and leaped to his aid. But this student, another blonde with an interesting cross scar on his cheek, was obviously not as good. The convict landed a strike on him, which seemed to incense his little green-eyed companion. Teito flipped a kick at the convict's eye-patch, bringing the man crashing down. He whirled in a pirouette and landed with an air of lethal grace. Hand outstretched, Teito sketched a binding zaiphon, sending it whirling around the convict's neck.

"Good moves," Hyuuga said, leaning in to murmur into Ayanami's ear.

Ayanami ignored him, his violet eyes wide as he waited in anticipation for the inevitable finish. He loved seeing bloodshed. Everyone knew what was required to pass this test. They had all gone through it, after all.

But the strike never came. "If you move, I will kill you," Teito said to the convict. The man bowed, and knelt in defeat, calling for mercy.

The door to the testing chamber slid open. Instructor Shigure entered. "This exam is not over," he reminded the group within. "I've told you that he must be killed."

Teito shook his head. "But he's not our real enemy, there's no reason to kill him," he argued. Teito lowered his hand and released the binding zaiphon.

At this point, Ayanami released a disgusted breath. This was turning out to be an absolute waste of his time. Barely containing his impatience, he strode into the room, his killing intent flaring. With a mere flick of effort, he sent his zaiphon at the condemned man. The red words of hate circled into position and impacted. Ayanami held onto the power as the man was slowly strangled and crushed. His spirit rejoiced at the satisfying destruction. For a brief moment, Ayanami debated allowing himself to consume the soul, but decided against it. The man was a convict and would probably taste terrible.

"You're too soft," Ayanami growled, enjoying the wide-eyed horrified look from the cadet. There should be no mercy for a defeated foe, no arguing with superior officers. Not in the Barsburg Empire. If this brat wished to stay a soldier for long, he had best learn this lesson now.

Ayanami released the deadly zaiphon and swept out, leaving his audience stunned speechless. It was dramatic as hell, but he rather enjoyed it. The kill had restored his mood. He refused to look at Hyuuga, who was probably grinning from ear to ear at the wanton destruction. He knew the major thrilled at seeing him in action.

That evening saw Ayanami, in his spacious quarters at the military academy, reviewing potential officers with Hyuuga.

"Only 19 passed, eh, Aya-tan?" Hyuuga asked, eyes studiously down as his pencil busily scratched away at a piece of paper. "What did you think of the one Miroku wanted you to see?"

Ayanami knew no paperwork was being done by Hyuuga. He had no idea why his subordinate was obsessed with sketching him every opportunity he got. "Miroku's pet? Disappointing. No killing intent."

"Seemed like the best fighter of the bunch. I know you saw the power of that zaiphon," said Hyuuga, glancing up to compare his pen and paper rendition to the original. He grinned to himself. Everything paled in comparison.

"Are you volunteering to beat him into shape if I take him into the Black Hawks?" asked Ayanami with snide sarcasm. He removed his heavy military jacket and stretched his arms up, working the kinks away from sitting so long, his movements languid and sensuous. It was something he would never do in front of anyone except Hyuuga.

"Aya-tan is mean. Don't I already do enough for you?" Hyuuga replied in tones filled with laughing innuendo. He abandoned his pencil and sketch and allowed himself to watch his commander's teasing show, eyes peering above his little black square shades, transfixed on the glimpse of flesh revealed by Ayanami's stretching.

Ayanami's soft laughter filled the room. "What do you do? Obviously not any of the paperwork," he said, waving at the pile of documents on his desk. He swept a careless hand over his silver bangs and headed to his bedroom.

Hyuuga surged to his feet, his hands moving to undo the buttons of his coat too. "Let me show you exactly how I make myself useful, Aya-tan," he purred. Paperwork was the last thing on his mind as he followed his leader out of the room.

---

Not sure how good this is. Writing up chapter 2 now. Comments are welcome. And yes, I know Hyuuga is lowest on the ranking totem, but he's as good as Ayanami's right-hand man correct? So I made him defacto second-in-command, because Katsuragi does very little in the canon as far as I can see.


	2. The Escape

Chapter 2: The Escape

_Please note, spoilers for the identities of Ayanami, Teito and the 07 Ghosts. _

_**I am not following canon, I cannot because I'm writing this on a PC without access to the manga/anime. So I'm improvising wildly. Please do not expect canon. It's a fanfic, not a meta.**_

The military academy for the Barsburg Empire was one of the key institutions that formed the basis of power for the Emperor. It churned out hundreds of soldiers every year. But more importantly, of that group, only a select few were given the opportunity to take the Begleiter exam. While technically, the exam was open to all who qualified, the majority of candidates were from noble and wealthy families, although some skated by as impoverished minor aristocrats. It was the way things were done, in essence an apprenticeship program that ensured the sons of those in power, rose up to become officers and take power themselves.

Despite its importance, it was rare for Ayanami to visit the place. Given his position as Chief of Staff and a strategist for the empire, he was more often occupied elsewhere, albeit bogged down with meetings and the nitty-gritty detail of paperwork. However, he went to the academy at least once a year, at the invitation of the chairman, to assess the cadets. But it wasn't like he cared very much where they placed, since a large number of them already had influential family and friends who had plans for them. All Ayanami's division did was handle the paperwork to expedite the transfers.

As he walked through the halls to his meeting with the academy chairman, Ayanami was struck by the contrast between the serenity of the surroundings and the deadly purpose of the place. He paused by an archway to gaze out at the sun-drenched courtyard, its peace occasionally broken by cadets hurrying to their classes. All these students were being trained to be killers. It was an irony that he entertained with delicious relish.

A central announcement calling on graduating students to submit their paperwork recalled him to his purpose. Ayanami resumed walking to his destination, his subordinates close at his heels. They didn't question his tendency to stop suddenly and zone out, being quite used to it, though this time, it wasn't because he was distracted elsewhere.

"Ah, Ayanami-kun, good of you to join us," greeted Miroku as Ayanami entered. He offered his guest a cup of tea. "You must have been busy lately."

Ayanami flipped the academy chairman a salute and declined the refreshment. "I apologize for not keeping in contact with you more often," he answered pleasantly.

"What did you think of the candidates yesterday?" Miroku asked. "I understand that you watched the exam for group A."

"You mean Teito Klein?" Ayanami replied, a sly smile gracing his lips. He suspected the chairman's unspoken intention for the youth, but he wasn't sure if he was going to comply with those plans yet. "He is very talented, and if he keeps it up, he could be a candidate for the Eye of Michael. But I'll have to think a bit more about the best position for his placement."

The chairman looked disappointed but did not press Ayanami further. "How goes your search for the Eye?" Miroku asked, at last getting to the point of their meeting. While everyone in the empire was technically looking for the same thing, it could be said that Miroku and Ayanami were the two most invested men in its recovery.

"We are still following up on a few leads," Ayanami replied. "Actually, I came to have another look at the artifact that we recovered from Raggs ten years ago."

Miroku got up from his desk and went to his safe in the wall. He removed a gold necklace from within and handed it to Ayanami.

The silver-haired soldier took it and touched the large empty depression at the center of the intricate piece of jewelery. He thought back on the day he had acquired the necklace and his soul thrilled. That had been a sweet triumph of masterful proportions. Ayanami jangled the gold pieces together, once, twice, three times, amusing himself with the memory of that exact same clatter that had sounded when his enemy fell to his sword.

"Raphael is still resonating, so the stone must still be out there somewhere," said Ayanami.

"But didn't that stone disappear during our war with the Raggs Kingdom?"

"It's true that autopsies were performed on all of Ragg's royalty and the stone wasn't found. But I believe we may have accidentally overlooked a blood relative somewhere," Ayanami said. He jangled the chain again, playing with it idly as he thought. "If this is the original, then this necklace may have belonged to the King of Raggs. We must find the stone that was set on this necklace. The Eye of Michael."

Ayanami fell silent, his sharp ears catching an unusual sound from outside the door. "It seems that we have a rat eavesdropping on us," he stated with calm anticipation.

He turned around to see a small cadet barreling in, a destructive zaiphon encircled around him, hand outstretched to cast right at Ayanami. There was however, no need for Ayanami to defend himself. The flash of a red zaiphon countered the strike before it even had time to launch, and Hyuuga was suddenly there, flush up against his back. Fragments of a second later, Hyuuga was gone, his movements poetry in action as he vaulted at the little assassin. A quick flip and Hyuuga was on top of the kid. He used his entire weight to press down hard to pin him to the ground, his unsheathed katana slamming into the carpet before the angry cadet's face in warning.

"No, no, you better not. If you attack Aya-tan, it will get you killed," Hyuuga said, a grin wide on his face. For once, an academy visit was turning out to be so much fun.

Ayanami studied the struggling cadet, pinned beneath Hyuuga. It was Teito Klein. The youth was still trying to reach him despite Hyuuga's firm hold, his eyes shooting daggers at Ayanami. "Why did you attack me?" he asked, honestly curious. It wasn't that he was unused to assassins leaping out of the woodwork at him, but usually, there was a good reason. And after Teito's performance at the exam yesterday, Ayanami had not thought the cadet would have the guts to try to kill anyone, especially not by attacking them from the back. But Teito didn't answer, only continuing to struggle and utter incoherent cries of rage.

"Come to think of it, isn't he the slave we picked up in the Raggs Kingdom?" Ayanami mused, suddenly making the connection.

He came to a quick decision. "Take him away. Keep him in a cell until I come to question him. We'll need him to tell us everything he knows," he ordered.

Still grinning with glee, Hyuuga nodded and hauled Teito up by the collar. The commotion had attracted a large group of guards. Most of them were agog at the notion that someone was actually foolish enough to attack the Chief of Staff. It was well-known throughout the empire that no one who challenged Ayanami had ever survived. Roughly, they hauled Teito off.

Ayanami turned to Miroku and debated to himself whether this was a setup.

The chairman appeared to know exactly what he was thinking. "Ayanami-kun, I promise you, I know nothing about this. Teito Klein has never shown this sort of behavior before."

"Conduct a search of his things, we need to get to the bottom of this. Perhaps he might know where the Eye of Michael is after all." Ayanami wondered if he had missed anything by bringing this slave from Raggs. He remembered that time clearly. He had thought the slave was odd and wanted him dead, but Miroku had insisted on keeping him alive, and Ayanami had bowed to it. Could the chairman know something that he didn't?

While Ayanami had wanted to quickly get to the bottom of Teito Klein's puzzling behavior, more pressing matters hindered him. A transmission had arrived from one of the empire's generals, demanding information on a proposed strategy against one of the country's many enemies. Given that he was outranked, Ayanami had no choice but to bow to doing some actual work. After that, the matter of the graduating class had to be dealt with. In all, it was stupid mind-numbing paperwork and Ayanami couldn't wait to get to the destruction of the world so he could be free of it. Unfortunately, that was not today. By the time he finished everything, the full moon was high up in the sky.

"Let's go question the prisoner," he said to Hyuuga and led the way down towards the detention cells. A suspicious silence greeted them when they arrived. It was soon all too obvious what happened. Bloody bodies littered the area. Ayanami found himself impressed at the destruction the little cadet had wrought. Apparently Teito Klein was more bloodthirsty than Ayanami had given him credit for.

Hyuuga echoed the thought. "He escaped. The prisoner's pretty impressive."

Ayanami held on to his temper with grim determination. If the guards weren't already dead, he'd have throttled all of them for being so incompetent."Bring him back," he ordered.

"Don't worry, I'll get right on it," the major replied soothingly, sensing his leader's irritation. Guards were already rushing about calling for help as the news of the escape spread.

Ayanami wasn't going to leave anything to chance. He turned and moved back out of the stockade. A sixth sense told him to head up, towards the ramparts of the academy's high walls, and he went. Moving so fast without appearing to be running, he soon left his entourage behind. Shouts and cries soon pinpointed the exact location of Teito Klein. Ayanami looked up and saw the youth holding onto another cadet in a choke-hold as two guards approached. He was too far to hear what was being said, but before the guards could rush him, the youth was falling off the balcony. Ayanami watched as the shimmer of a zaiphon slowed Teito's fall, allowing him to tumble squarely into the seat of a parked Hawkzile. The boy was like a cat. Ayanami growled with annoyance when the machine fired up and zoomed into the sky.

Time seemed to freeze as Teito flew past Ayanami, looking him right in the eyes. If looks could have killed, both would have fallen. Teito was almost close enough to grasp but still too frustratingly far. And then, Teito was moving away, further and further out of range. Ayanami wasn't about to let him escape and raised his hand. Red words circled around his fingers and with a casual flick, he tossed the zaiphon. There was a cry from Teito when it impacted but amazingly, the machine continued to fly, and disappeared into the horizon within moments.

"I'm impressed he could put up a defensive shield fast enough to keep that from being a fatal attack," Hyuuga observed, having just run up behind his commander.

Ayanami was at this point enraged enough to want to smack his companion. But he didn't because Hyuuga was allowed liberties that he gave nobody else. At last, Ayanami forced himself to remember that it was a good thing Teito wasn't dead. He wanted the boy alive to question about the Eye of Michael after all.

"Mobilize the Hawkzile units and go after him. Raise the barrier shields too. I want him found," he grated out. The empire's reach was far, and Ayanami's reach even further. Teito Klein was not going to get away from him so easily.

_Notes:_

_Here's a bit that I wanted to work in but I couldn't. So I present you with an omake._

_Hyuuga: The investigators are calling Teito's attack, a crime of passion, Aya-tan._

_Ayanami: …_

_Hyuuga: Well nobody in their right mind would attack you right? So it must be because you broke his heart or something, they say._

_Ayanami: …_

_Hyuuga: So did you do something to Teito last night between the time of the exam and this morning, Aya-tan?_

_Ayanami: I have an alibi. XD_

_Again, reviews are love. \o/ Also I promise a lemon in the next chapter. _


	3. The Possession of Mikage

Chapter 3 – The Possession of Mikage

_**Okay this is where this fic goes into NC-17 territory. Please be warned, there is a lemon in this chapter. Do not read if this bothers you. I**** am also not following canon, I cannot because I'm writing this on a PC without access to the manga/anime. So I'm making a lot of things up. I am aware a lot of it is not how it happened, but I'm writing it this way for flow. This is a fanfic, not a meta.** _

There was very little rest for anyone that night at the Barsburg Military Academy. For the first time ever, a prisoner had escaped. Even worse, it was an assassin that had attempted to kill one of the most important military officers of the empire – the Chief of Staff. While some of the soldiers might be wondering how someone with Ayanami's fearsome reputation could let an assassin walk away alive, nobody thought to question him. That was just as well because Ayanami would have wiped the floor with anyone who dared.

At present, he was answering to Chairman Miroku in his study.

"I have already sent soldiers after him. I'm sure they will find him soon," said Ayanami in response to Miroku's question of Teito Klein's whereabouts.

"I'm counting on you, Ayanami-kun. I'd hate to lose that boy," Miroku said, his voice laced with arrogant threat.

"I feel the same way, Chairman," Ayanami agreed. There was nothing else that could be said. This incident was an embarrassment to them both.

After that disagreeable meeting, Ayanami led Hyuuga back to their quarters where his other subordinates began the task of collating reports for him. While Ayanami knew that the military was often forced to act with scanty or even incorrect information, he preferred doing his best with as much intelligence as he could gather. That was possibly why he was one of the most successful strategists within the Empire.

Ayanami weighed the possibilities of who exactly Teito Klein could be as he sat back and sipped his tea, thoughtfully provided by Colonel Katsuragi. If Teito did indeed know the location of the Eye of Michael, then his recovery was paramount. Ayanami took the dossier on Teito and flipped through it, looking for anything he might have missed, despite having already read it once. Taken from the defeated Raggs Kingdom, Teito had lived in Chairman Miroku's mansion until a year ago. He was trained as a combat slave and had apparently done everything he was told, with utmost diligence. A model slave of the empire. The irony was that before he'd gone ballistic and decided that Ayanami made a better target than master, Miroku had been grooming him to be Ayanami's _begleiter_.

Major's Hyuuga's _begleiter_, Konatsu Warren, entered and began to deliver the latest news. "Sir, searchers have found the debris from the crashed Hawkzile. They have checked a one kilometer radius of the place but there was no body. The destroyed Hawkzile was also buried. It seems an attempt was made to hide its location from us. It is likely he has received some help."

"It looks like he survived, eh, Aya-tan," Hyuuga commented. "Teito Klein is proving to be a resourceful boy."

"Where was the location?" Ayanami asked.

"Near District 7 sir," Konatsu replied. "But the search party said there were no footprints leaving the area."

The news made everyone in the room pay attention. There was only one thing of note in District 7. This was not good. "The Church?" Hyuuga said at last.

Ayanami leaned back in his chair and pondered the situation. "Did the searchers go any further?"

"No sir," Konatsu replied. "The men have no jurisdiction to go into the sanctuary area. They have been told to pull out, Ayanami-sama."

"The one place in the empire that is completely out of our reach," Ayanami mused. Teito Klein's luck seemed to be holding. "No matter how heinous a criminal, if they ask for sanctuary, they are safe from the law in that place."

"God's territory, eh?" Hyuuga said, scoffing that the idea. "Does this mean that you're going to be sending one of _them_ in, Aya-tan?" As elite warsfeil, dark sorcerers, what better use of their powers than to send one of the damned to desecrate the sanctuary of god? He was smiling broadly now, pleased at the prospect of seeing his leader exercise his skill.

"Perhaps," Ayanami said, still non-committal. It wasn't as if he respected the laws of sanctuary, but going against the Church wasn't to be done lightly. Furthermore, there were the seven ghosts, who were possibly residing there. For Ayanami, they were not just fairy tales told to children. It would be foolish to go head-to-head against such extremely formidable foes without prior planning. "Is there anything else to report, Konatsu?"

"Yes sir, actually there is. The men have in custody Teito Klein's roommate. He was involved in the escape, though he's claiming he was taken as a hostage," Konatsu answered.

"Hm, suspicious," Hyuuga said.

"Indeed," Ayanami agreed. "I wish to question him." He turned to his other aide. "Colonel Katsuragi, please bring me his file."

By the time Ayanami was ready to confront the prisoner, there was little he did not know about Mikage. He appointed Hyuuga to begin the interrogation, deciding to settle himself in the background to observe. Hyuuga's unnerving smile, coupled with the menace of his presence, had broken many a prisoner.

"When Teito Klein escaped, I heard you were with him," Hyuuga began when Mikage was brought in, hands bound behind his back.

"I was taken hostage! It's the truth!" Mikage insisted. "Even if you torture me, I have nothing else to say!"

Ayanami was amused to see sweat already beading the youth's forehead. Perhaps this would be over fast.

Hyuuga idly sauntered over to a table by the side of the room and Mikage's eyes followed him. The blonde gasped when he saw a photograph, set in a prominent position on top.

"Oh? Is this a picture of your family?" Hyuuga bent down to study it closely. He ran a finger with slow deliberation over the surface of the glass, caressing the image of the blonde girl within. "You have such a cute little sister." He paused to allow Mikage to digest the implication of his words.

"_'For my family'_, yes?" he added. "That was the reason why you joined. I was so touched when I read that on your army application. With that sort of resolve, you could go far in the miliary."

Hyuuga fell silent and grinned steadily at Mikage. The youth's eyes were wide and panicked as his mind filled in the blanks on what the military could do to his family if he did not cooperate. But it was also clear that his loyalties were torn. Hyuuga leaned back and enjoyed the conflict within those terrified hazel eyes.

At last Ayanami spoke. "Do you have a wish?" he asked, his voice low and soft but every word resounding in Mikage's soul as Ayanami allowed his power to rise. Beautiful and terrible all at once, he glided over to the seated youth and bent down to whisper insidious confusion into his ear.

"Don't you wish to protect your family? Or do you wish to protect Teito Klein?" He ran a finger over the smooth skin of Mikage's cheek. "I'll allow you to choose. Your family or Teito. Think well. Bring Teito Klein to me and you'll be rewarded. If you don't..."

Ayanami could feel the young man trembling as he wrestled with the dilemma. There was really no choice to be made at all, the silly boy, but Ayanami wasn't about to tell him that. He let him stew for a couple more delicious moments. But then shockingly, Mikage's eyes flared with anger and he bucked against his bonds, trying to get away from Ayanami's touch. "I won't betray Teito! I won't! My family... my family will understand!" Mikage yelled in defiance.

Surprised, Ayanami drew back, his violet eyes slitted with anger. "Well, isn't that just too bad," he said. He raised his hand and gathered his power. Slowly it built, in ever-spiraling waves, a treatise of domination and despair, before he unleashed the curse right into Mikage.

"Just so you don't escape, I'll put a mark on you," he said. His creation entered, and then Ayanami tugged backwards. It looked like he was yanking on thin air since there wasn't anything substantial that anyone could see, but from the way Mikage screamed, it was as if his soul was being ripped out. Which in essence it was, or at least half of it.

Ayanami straightened and looked at the little bit of soul in his hand before closing his fist, absorbing it into himself. Now Mikage would never be free. He strode over to the door and opened it, startling the guard stationed outside.

"Take him and bring him outside the cathedral in District 7. You may release him there," he said. He ignored Mikage, who was still screaming himself hoarse from the horror of what just happened.

Ayanami radiated satisfaction as he walked slowly back to his quarters. "Did you enjoy that, Hyuuga?" he asked, almost coy in the way he turned and smiled at his subordinate.

The major was licking on his lollipop in a manner that could be called obscene. "You were very mean to him, Aya-tan," Hyuuga said. He knew better than anyone that the process didn't have to _hurt._ He sidled closer. "I like it when Aya-tan thinks up something scary. It was a beautiful curse, a piece of art. That was so much fun."

Ayanami hummed in agreement and entered his room. "Well, I was thinking of having even more fun." He dragged Hyuuga in and slammed the door shut. Pushing him against the surface, Ayanami kissed him hard. Hyuuga tasted of candy sweet and dark power -- utterly sinful and just the way Ayanami liked it.

Unwilling to have Ayanami take all the initiative, Hyuuga kissed back, nipping Ayanami lightly on the bottom lip, tongues warring as he fought to take control. But rising lust was making him sloppy and desperate. He loved it when Ayanami exercised his power because it put him on a high that no narcotic could replicate.

There was little need for words between them. Both were of like mind as they stumbled towards the bedroom, sharing heated kisses and shedding articles of clothing along the way. Hyuuga was however careful to make sure his weapons were the last to go, falling within reach of the bed.

One last step and Hyuuga pushed his lover down, sliding the length of his body on top of him. "You make me so hard," he groaned as he nibbled down that delectable neck. He sucked at a sensitive spot and smirked in satisfaction at the sharp gasp in response.

"Lube. Now," Ayanami growled, still pretending he had full control of the situation. He arched his back, allowing Hyuuga his way. It was a good thing the military uniform had high collars because Hyuuga was definitely leaving bruises. But at this moment, he simply did not care.

Being the good subordinate that he was, Hyuuga promptly obeyed the order. He snatched the lube from the side drawer and squeezed a generous portion into his hand. There were times when they took it slow and easy but this was not one of them. Hyuuga shoved Ayanami's leg up high over his hip and slipped a finger into the exposed pucker. Not really giving him time to adjust, he worked in a second and began to stretch him, rough and hard. He didn't bother to be gentle, nor did Ayanami expect a soft touch.

Breathing heavily, he pulled his fingers free, used the rest of the gel to slick himself and moved into position. A quick thrust in and he was firmly seated half within. He pulled back and pushed again, working himself all the way, balls deep in. Hyuuga then kept up a steady pace, shifting slightly until he hit the spot that had Ayanami making guttural cries of pleasure.

It hurt but it was the good sort of hurt and he was going to be oh-so-sore tomorrow, but the rough taking was exactly what Ayanami wanted. He matched Hyuuga thrust for thrust, enjoying that formidable stamina as they both searched for their completion. Perhaps the closest thing to heaven he could have, here on earth sealed in this meager flesh.

Ayanami reached and pulled at Hyuuga's hand, bringing him down to take hold of his hardness. Hyuuga grinned at the insistent command but followed it nonetheless, desiring nothing but to give Ayanami pleasure. He circled his thumb over the wet tip, eliciting a delightful moan from his lover, and began to stroke him in time to his thrusts.

It didn't take long before Ayanami was tensing against Hyuuga, and then his orgasm ripped through him, violent and fierce, and so satisfying. Hyuuga slowed down and gazed upon his lover's face, drinking in the unguarded moment before resuming the pursuit of his own pleasure. A few more strokes and he shuddered, finally attaining his release.

Hyuuga shifted away, considerate about not crushing his partner. He was surprised by the tender embrace Ayanami gave him as he settled down beside him. It wasn't often his partner wanted to cuddle post-coitus. "You all right, Aya-tan?"

Ayanami's lazy smile was all the answer he needed. "We'll be headed back to the Hohburg Fortress tomorrow. Better get some sleep," he said.

"Mmm, yes sir," Hyuuga said, grinning cheekily. He did a double take, his eyes opening wide. Ayanami was already fast asleep and looking deceptively innocent. He must be really worn out. Laughing to himself, Hyuuga snuggled down and followed his leader into slumber.

_Notes: _

_So people are reading this right? Gosh, I had no idea where that lemon came from. My Ayanami muse simply gets horny after doing diabolical things and insisted the scene to be written. Also I'm convinced that Hyuuga grins all the time because he's sleeping with the prettiest guy (and his superior officer too!) in the military. _


	4. Facing the inquisitors

Chapter 4 – Facing the inquisitors.

_Please note, I'm mixing the canon for the manga and the anime by this point. Many of the scenes just don't make very good sense, so I'm trying to juggle the canon with this fic without straying too much. Please take it all with a grain of salt because I'm improvising madly. _

The military central command of the Barsburg Empire resided in what was possibly the world's most imposing structure. There was nothing like the sight of a flying fortress barreling down with a fleet of accompanying ships to strike fear into the hearts of enemies. The only problem was that Hohburg Fortress usually went nowhere. It was the size of a major city and as far as Ayanami was concerned, housed the most annoying people in the Empire.

Too bad he was stuck with them.

Ayanami had returned to the base only to be immediately summoned to a full inquiry to account for his recent actions. It might have been amusing to know the central command were so obsessed with his movements except that it was tedious to the extreme. Nevertheless, he bore it with patience, knowing there was little alternative. Not at this point in time.

At present, they were firing questions at him, trying to find a weakness in his answers, like a shoal of sharks sensing blood. "Explain to us why Teito Klein felt the need to escape, Ayanami-kun?" a rear admiral demanded.

There was a pregnant pause as Ayanami glared at his inquisitors from beneath his cap.

"Teito Klein just wanted to go visit his hometown. Right, Aya-tan?" Hyuuga suddenly piped up, breaking the awkward silence.

Taking the cue from Hyuuga, Konatsu joined in. "But he was originally a slave from the fallen Raggs Kingdom, so I sincerely doubt he actually has a place to go back home to."

"I'm sure he'll return once he starts to miss his school life and friends," Colonel Katsuragi added cheerfully. "I look forward to meeting Teito-kun."

There was no rejoinder from Kuroyuri, except for a snore since he was fast asleep in the arms of his begleiter, Haruse.

"Are any of you even taking this seriously?" the admiral shouted with rage at the flippant answers, slamming his fist on the table. "Especially you on the left!"

Haruse, who had been desperately trying to fade into the woodwork, jumped to attention and saluted. "Sir! Sorry, sir!" He juggled Kuroyuri with one hand, wondering what he had done to draw attention to himself, although he supposed a grown man cuddling a sleeping child at an inquiry probably made the ranking officers upset at the lack of respect.

"He was a candidate to possess the Eye of Michael once it was found," the angry officer added, ignoring Haruse's apologies.

"He got away because you decided to deal with him on your own," another of the senior staff said, pointing an accusatory finger at Ayanami. "You'll take responsibility for this."

Ayanami was well familiar with the politics of the blame game. He knew the admirals wanted a scapegoat, and it appeared he was it. He did appreciate his subordinates for trying to distract the command staff. In fact, he was rather amused by their nonsensical babble. Nobody could understand anything that they were saying.

"Now now gentlemen, there are plenty of other candidates out there," said the chairman of the Military Academy. "But Ayanami-kun, I was actually hoping to make him your begleiter."

"My greatest apologies," Ayanami said, responding for the first time since the start of the questioning. "Chairman Miroku, why did you take that child under your wing?"

The chairman waved off the question. "Since he's branded as a slave, he will never find sanctuary anywhere else."

While some of the listeners might be misled into thinking Miroku took the child in to be kind to a slave, Ayanami wasn't fooled. "What happens if he regains his memories?" Ayanami pressed further. They were talking at cross purposes and ignoring the confused glances of the senior staff. Nobody else in the room understood the depths of their conversation.

"I'm actually looking forward to that, Ayanami-kun," Miroku replied and chuckled in a way that thoroughly rubbed Ayanami the wrong way. "I'm sure you'll understand why someday," he said. It was almost a taunt but there was little Ayanami could do except narrow his eyes.

The meeting wound up with little else accomplished. The other officers had been forced to give up their accusations of Ayanami's incompetence with Miroku stepping in. As the former leader of the military, the academy chairman was a powerful figure in the empire and what he said had impact. If he said the loss of one slave didn't matter, particularly when said slave belonged to him, then the command staff couldn't very well punish the Chief of Staff for losing him. The only thing of note that resulted from the meeting was that Teito Klein was branded a fugitive, and Ayanami now had the task of his recovery.

Given that Ayanami had already set in place plans to that end, he was unconcerned as he made his way to his next appointment, his team trailing behind.

"Ayanami-sama, about Mikage, your orders on him have been executed," Katsuragi said, reading notes from a little appointment book. "After this, you have a meeting with General Wakaba and after that, a court-martial to attend. And the induction course for the new begleiters is scheduled to begin tomorrow. You are being asked to give an introductory speech to the new officers on their duties. Perhaps Ayanami-sama will find a suitable begleiter in this class?"

"Well done, Colonel Katsuragi. I appreciate your organizing my schedule," Ayanami said, oddly formal in his address to Katsuragi. In truth, the job really should go to his personal begleiter, or Hyuuga as the lowest ranking officer in the group. But the thought of trusting Hyuuga with his schedule almost made Ayanami laugh. He would never turn up for anything on time, ever.

"It is an honor to serve you, sir," Katsuragi replied with a smile, equally formal.

Ayanami gave his subordinate a considering look and moved on. His sharp ears caught the grumble of a group of junior officers talking as he passed. It was the usual complaint as far as he could tell. There was a lot of resentment for the Black Hawks and as their young leader, Ayanami received most of the hatred. Most people did not understand why the team was given such high ranks for their age, and while they might know about _warsfeil_ in theory, those who had not seen them in action never quite understood that the team deserved every accolade.

Ayanami deliberately dismissed them from his thoughts when he heard them launch into a tirade about his family. It was no secret his family was of high nobility, but disgraced and sundered from the main imperial line. Ayanami had heard it a thousand times before but with his memories of a vaster existence than any human could conceive, no insult could reach him at this point.

Outraged screams however, made him glance curiously back. Hyuuga was lagging behind them, yawning copiously. Just behind him were the three officers, their pants down around their ankles, multi-colored underwear exposed, expressions of utter panic and embarrassment on their faces as they grabbed their clothes and fled.

Ayanami's lips showed the hint of a tiny smirk. He slowed down to allow Hyuuga to catch up. "You can't be that tired if you're engaging in swordplay," he murmured to the major, who was still yawning non-stop. He had heard the split second swish of Hyuuga's katana in action.

"Aya-tan slept wonderfully last night, didn't you?" Hyuuga said, his grin back in place.

"Are you saying someone disturbed your sleep?" asked Ayanami, not quite pouting as he quirked a brow at Hyuuga in challenge.

Hyuuga waved his arms about in quick denial. "No, no. I had the best sleep last night," he said, laughing merrily. He wasn't about to hint at anything else, not if he wanted to get laid again.

Their little talk wasinterrupted by the appearance of Chairman Miroku. Ayanami stopped, wondering what he wanted this time. The man was starting to feel like a stalker.

"How are you planning to deal with the case of Teito Klein, Ayanami-kun?" the chairman asked.

Ayanami was hard pressed not to sigh at him. The man needed to learn some patience. "I promise that I will capture him for you, Miroku-sama," he said. His plans were in place, but he wasn't going to tell them to the chairman where anyone could overhear.

The chairman nodded. "Just so you know, the boy's strong, Ayanami-kun," he said with ominous gravity. "He is my greatest pupil."

"I understand," Ayanami answered. He grasped the underlying warning not to underestimate the slave. He gave the chairman a salute and proceeded to his next appointment. Ayanami thought hard, wondering if the chairman was right and there was something more dangerous about Teito Klein. As he walked, he sent his awareness out to check on Mikage. He was pleased to note that the youth was moving into position. Now it would only be a matter of time before he could test just how strong Teito was.

_Notes:_

_I apologize for the short chapter. I've been dealing with some sad real life issues as well as a nasty bout of swine flu. But I do plan to keep going on this fic, so I hope I have all your support. _


	5. Ayatan multitasks

Chapter 5 – Aya-tan multitasks

The next few days passed quickly. It was easy to fall into a routine now that Ayanami was back at Headquarters. There were many demands on his time and Colonel Katsuragi kept his little appointment book filled to the brim. Chairman Miroku continued to harass him daily on the whereabouts of Teito Klein, and Ayanami diplomatically repeated assurances that the search was ongoing and there should be no worry about it.

For Ayanami, Teito's escape generated a secondary annoyance. It had renewed interest among the command staff for tracking down escaped slaves. It normally wasn't a huge concern, since escaping slaves were few in number compared to the many people taken as slaves. And combat slaves trying to escape were even fewer. The special collars they wore made sure of that. It was death if they didn't see their masters every 48 hours. But there were a number of them resourceful enough to make contact with rebel groups with the technology to remove the collars. Unfortunately, for the empire at least, this proved to be a culling method that meant only the smartest and most skilled of the battle slaves ended up on the side of the rebels.

In general, whenever a rebel group surfaced to become a thorn in the empire's side, regular troops would be sent first. Field campaigns could potentially last for years, but command staff usually decided after some time that the cost of funding the exercise was too expensive and the Black Hawks would be mobilized. Why they didn't just send Ayanami's team right away he didn't know, although he supposed it might have something to do with the fear of having his gang of _warsfeil_ out of their sight.

But this time, in light of Teito's escape, the empire's military leaders decided it was necessary to teach a lesson to anyone who decided to aid and abet runaway slaves.

"Chief of Staff Ayanami, you are hereby ordered to take your team and crush this group of rebels. Do not fail," was the uncompromising command.

Which explained why Ayanami was currently on his way to some rural boondocks in what was essentially a clean-up mission. It was a journey that would take almost a day, so there was little for him to do except sit in his chair, on the command deck of his ship, his violet eyes veiled under long lashes, appearing to all outward scrutiny as if he was snoozing.

"So who do you think will get to carry out the mission this time?" Konatsu asked, looking around at the team. They were gathered just a bit below Ayanami's position, passing time with tea and idle chit chat.

"Colonel Katsuragi got to go last time, didn't he? It was when he destroyed that guerrilla base," Haruse pointed out, his arms cradling the sleeping Kuroyuri with tender care. He smiled down devotedly at the child, not minding that his lieutenant-colonel was drooling on him.

"It was over so fast, it hardly made for a decent workout. I barely broke a sweat," said Katsuragi in a nonchalant manner while checking his appointment book. He was still performing the duties of Ayanami's secretary in the absence of a begleiter for the chief.

"Hopefully it will be more fun this time," said Konatsu, with optimistic cheer that he might get to see some action.

"But you know, I know of something even more interesting," said Hyuuga, a gleeful smirk on his lips as he sing-songed the teasing comment at his teammates.

The other members all perked up with interest to look at the major.

Hyuuga ignored them, his attention focused entirely on his chief. "I wonder what Aya-tan's up to right now."

Ayanami sensed his crew gazing at him, but said nothing, his head listing to the side as he sent his awareness out. Out of all of them, Hyuuga was probably the one who had the best inkling of where his mind was directed.

It had been a simple matter to conclude that Teito Klein was indeed in the sanctuary of the Church in the 7th District. But the process of extracting him was proving slightly more complicated. There was of course, no worldly diplomatic means of doing so, given the treaty between Church and Empire, which left Ayanami only one option.

So several days ago, he had begun the process of searching for competent minions in the vicinity.

It wasn't an easy task. Now the Kor, the personification of Verloren's curse, were present in large numbers throughout the empire except for one place. It was almost impossible for a Kor to infiltrate the heart of the Church's power and stay undetected for very long. There were too many sensitive bishops within the Church premises able to spot Kor victims – the curse mark being a dead giveaway. And for the Kor, getting exorcised defeated their purpose so they stayed away. However, Ayanami was able to detect four who had evolved enough to have taken over their hosts.

The first one entered the sanctuary with the task of tempting Teito Klein. The contact had been initially successful. Ayanami could sense the triumph of the Kor after it had granted a wish to the runaway and thereby infected him. But after marking the boy with a curse, the Kor was interrupted. Ayanami had not been in direct contact with the minion but he had sensed three bishops stepping in to protect the youth. The Kor only managed to convey great agitation about a weapon before it was abruptly eradicated.

His interest roused, Ayanami had tried again another day. That time, he kept a closer eye on the situation. His minion had possessed a gardener working in the sanctuary area. The opportunity came when Mikage and Teito strolled through the pathways of the greenhouse, enjoying the peaceful serenity of the place. Ayanami was pleased to see Mikage at Teito's side. He knew the blonde cadet would be unable to stay away from the person who meant so much to him, even though Mikage was fully aware that being with Teito was probably the worst thing he could do.

Ayanami observed the two for a moment, noticing how Teito Klein's brilliant green eyes shone as he gazed at Mikage. There was definitely something between them. Teito was munching on an edible flower and the duo were horsing around. However, the sounds of their laughter faded away as the conversation turned serious. There was a glimmer of suspicion in Teito's eyes as he began to question Mikage on how he'd escaped. But Mikage threw him a few glib answers and all was well.

"You have no idea... how happy I am to see you're safe," Teito was saying.

While it was highly amusing playing voyeur to the teen lovers, it was time for Ayanami to act. He

nudged his minion in to attack, wanting to see if Chairman Miroku was right about Teito Klein's strength. The _wars,_ basically a Kor-possessed human shell, approached but Teito's senses seemed to pick him up.

"Run for it, Mikage!" he yelled at his friend and dashed forward, a zaiphon already forming around his hand. He had seen the curse mark on the gardener's chest.

Ayanami's minion met the challenge. The explosive clash of zaiphons resounded, breaking the peace of the quiet garden. Both boys were attacking but Teito continued to cry at Mikage to escape to safety.

The _wars_ manifested its wings and flew up. It laughed and launched more spells at Teito, one after another in rapid succession. The former combat slave yelled in fury and followed, sending blasts at the dark creature and leaving Mikage far behind. The attacks forced the _wars_ to desperately dodge, and Ayanami smiled, pleased that Teito Klein was finally getting serious.

But before Ayanami could redirect his minion to attack, a burst of power from the back abruptly cut his connection with the _wars_. He stifled a cry as his consciousness was thrown back to his body. The shock of the severing had stung. Fortunately, Hyuuga was there that night to soothe all his aches and pains.

At any rate, Ayanami was ready now to try a third time. There had been a Kor, positioned on the outskirts of the 7th district that Ayanami had contacted. The creature had already granted two wishes to its host and was in enough control of her to serve Ayanami's purpose.

It had convinced the girl, a young woman from a noble family, to steal a carriage and travel to the gates of the cathedral. There, it staged a dramatic crash right into the gates. It was no coincidence that Mikage was right there. Ayanami had with a deft touch, manipulated Mikage into position, making the young man think he was there of his own volition. It amused Ayanami that his puppet was harboring thoughts of his autonomy, as if resisting was even possible.

From there, it was easy to maneuver Mikage into bringing her into the church grounds. As the youth rushed the injured girl towards help, Ayanami decided to attract some attention.

"It's time," he said to the Kor influencing the girl.

On cue, his minion spread its wings. The host was now fully under the illusion that Mikage was her precious brother, who in reality probably didn't even care enough about his sister to know she had sold her soul away. But twisting her love into an ugly possessive desire proved easy enough for the demon.

Alarmed by the turn of events, Mikage began to run, leading the possessed girl up and away from the crowded marketplace area of the church grounds. With an odd sort of double vision, Ayanami followed their progress from both viewpoints, though he did nothing to alert Mikage of his presence. Given the intensity of feeling between Teito and Mikage, he fully expected the escaped slave to rush to the rescue soon enough.

Ayanami was interested to observe that Mikage had found a restricted area within the sanctuary where he and the Kor-possessed girl began exchanging attacks. Neither was really doing much to hurt the other. Mikage's foremost thought was about saving her, and the Kor was keeping a tight rein on his host not to damage the blonde.

The Kor suddenly slashed at Mikage with a bony wing and for a moment, Ayanami thought it had struck home. But no, a barrier had sprung into being around him and the wingtip was repelled.

"I made a promise. I swore that I would never abandon you, no matter what!" Teito said, when Mikage turned around in surprise.

_He's finally arrived, _Ayanami thought to himself and settled back to watch the fireworks.

The fight grew serious as the Kor unleashed the limits on the girl's obsession, feeding on her feelings of loneliness. The young woman was now convinced that Mikage was her beloved brother and she also had to kill him if she wished him to stay with her forever. She clung tightly to Mikage, flying a few feet off the ground while beating Teito back as he tried to save his friend.

So far, there had been nothing to impress Ayanami. The fight appeared to be over, with the possessed girl preparing to plunge the sharp point of her wing into Mikage. But then, Teito uttered a desperate cry and he began to glow. Ayanami's attention was riveted by a red orb that rose from within the back of the youth's hand, as the power slowly built.

_Is that...? _he thought, just before the connection with his Kor was suddenly severed. He switched quickly to Mikage and saw a dark clothed bishop standing in the light of the doorway. _Who is this man? He killed my Kor with one blow, _Ayanami thought, impressed. He withdrew quickly when he sensed the bishop looking right at him. _Can he really see me?_ Ayanami wondered.

"Is everything all right, Aya-tan?" Hyuuga asked, interrupting Ayanami's musings. The major was staring intently at his superior, perceptively aware that something significant had occurred.

"Yes, quite all right," Ayanami said. If that red orb was indeed what he suspected, then he now understood why Chairman Miroku was so insistent about Teito Klein's return.

Ayanami began to laugh softly. He knew what he was going to have to do now. It was time to break Teito Klein's heart.

_Notes: _

_Hyuuga: So I soothed all your aches and pains, Aya-tan?_

_Ayanami: You added more. *growl*_

_Hyuuga: I'm sorry! I'll be more gentle... next time?_

_Anyway, I leave you guys to draw your own conclusions. XD_


End file.
